


Gaggle of Gangly Guys

by BronzeDragon13



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Demon Shane Madej, Random & Short, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-22 04:26:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 18,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13159245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzeDragon13/pseuds/BronzeDragon13
Summary: Random prompts between Ryan and Shane. Honestly, just a bunch of different random topics.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Random prompt generator: Write about someone you used to love.

Shane had no clue how they got on the subject. Lately, Ryan would just burst out weird questions. Not that he didn’t do that enough. Shane knew that half of their conversations were based on those random questions that seemed to go nowhere, only to become another layer to their friendship.

God, he was equating his friendship with Ryan to an onion. 

They had been editing their latest video for Unsolved. Most of the office was gone, since it was a Friday, and the two of them had turned down offers of going out to stay behind and get ahead on the video. Ryan, who hadn’t said anything for the past twenty minutes, had gone from staring at the screen to asking about his love life. 

“What?” Shane took his headphones off the whole way, certain he had misheard the question. Ryan gave him an exasperated look. 

“Your ex’s. Do you talk to any of them anymore?” 

Well, that was not what Shane was expecting. Ryan stared him down, and Shane knew that if he didn’t answer he would be badgered for hours. 

“Not really. Most of them left the area.” He didn’t mention the ones that were still in the area, the most recent two anyway, and how they would appear cordial and aloof if they saw each other in public. 

“That’s sad.” Ryan said, shrugged, and went back to work. Shane gaped at him.

“That’s it? Nothing else, no more prodding?” Ryan was always pushing for more answers. Ryan took out one headphone. 

“Nope. Just a thought that popped into my head.” He smiled at Shane, the kind that made him want to smile back for no reason, and went back to his screen. 

Another layer was added.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about a time when you were really brave.

Shane knew he was going to die. 

Well, no, he wasn’t going to die. 

That was highly unlikely. But, from the way Ryan was yelling, and how none of the crew members moved to help him, Shane knew he was on his own for this. 

Lots of people believed that he wasn’t afraid of anything. Shane professed what he didn’t believe in (ghosts) and what he did put a certain amount of stock in (science and convincing Ryan that ghosts didn’t exist). Shane was also, secretly, terrified of bees. All types of them, big or small, and now he was going to have to be the one to get it out of the car. 

“It’s a bee, Ryan.” Shane said as he made his way over. At least the bee didn’t have a stinger. Ryan was cowering towards the rear of the car. Shane was positive that he saw Ryan’s hand move towards the holy water. 

“A killer bee.” 

Making a note to mention this to Sara when he got the chance, Shane opened the door. The bee, who had been chilling out on the driver’s headrest, casually flew out. 

And landed right on Shane’s shoulder. 

All of his effort was focused on not making a sound and showing no weakness. If he broke, Ryan would never let him live it down. Thankfully, the little bee didn’t stay long, and flew off in the opposite direction. With the crisis taken care of, they finished getting the gear back into the car.

“The bee was going to kill you.” Ryan piped as he got in on the passenger seat. Shane rolled his eyes. 

“No, it wasn’t.” He started the car. “It was a harmful as your ghosts, Ryan.” 

“Both of them could kill you, Shane!” 

The crew groaned in the backseat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to like these more and more. Also, I really want to do some adorable bromance ones and probably a demon Shane thing too. Cus that is amazing and I haven't been able to get that out of my head. Leave a comment if you so choose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about the first sexual experience you had.

“I’m so sorry!” Sara cried as she fluttered around him. Shane groaned from where his fetal position on the bed. 

“It’s okay,” Shane tried to say, but he was sure that it came out mumbled. At least his nose had stopped bleeding. His manly bits were still throbbing. “I’ll just die on this comforter. Roll me out with the trash when I’m dead.” Sara sighed and Shane felt the bed dip beside him. 

“I didn’t realize that you were ticklish there.” Shane opened one eye. 

“I mentioned my thighs were ticklish. You didn’t say that your neck was.” That little error had led to Sara moving too fast off of his bits and smacking him right in the nose. Sara smirked.

“At least you’ll have a fun story to tell.” 

“The only thing we’re doing tonight is telling stories.” Shane paused. “Or I could go solo for you? I know your thighs aren’t sensitive.” 

“Maybe after your nose isn’t dripping out blood. I get enough of that down there each month.” Shane snickered behind the rag. 

They had been dating for months now, and sex was supposed to be on the table for tonight. It wasn’t like they wanted it to be to romantic, but they didn’t think that they would be on the couch, Shane clutching two ice packs, watching some old reruns on TV when they should have been going at it in the bedroom. 

“I think we win the award for clumsiest sexual encounter.” Sara said as she rested against his shoulder. 

“We’re handing awards out now?”

“Nope, this is a secret, couples only award.” Sara looked up at the giant. “You can tell Ryan, though.”

“Why would I tell Ryan?”

“Because your nose is black and blue already, Shane.” 

“Oh, god damn it!” Shane exclaimed. “Seriously?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally gonna do Ryan and Shane...but I've been creeping on Instagram and YouTube and Sara and Shane are too cute. Honestly, just little wee babies. Hope everyone has a good start to 2018! Leave a comment if you want :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about moving home.

_“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”_ Ryan’s voice came through the speaker as Shane balanced his stuff while trying to get his keys out of his pocket.

“Ya, it’s only going to be a few days. The surgery is tomorrow, and then I’ll be here till Wednesday. That’s the longest I can take off.” His mother was supposed to have surgery, or as she put it ‘stupid female organ troubles’, so Shane had flown back home to help out. The winter weather back in Ohio seemed almost cheerful.

_“I still think one of us should have gone with you. Sara was a menace at work today. She cleaned her desk, my desk, and yours.”_

Shane laughed as he got through the door. No one was home yet and Shane put his stuff out of the way and started to remove his several layers.

_“You should probably call her after this.”_

“I will. You just happened to text right when I got to baggage claim.” He kicked his shoes off and then collapsed onto the couch. “I forgot how much flying sucks.”

_“You know we’re going to be flying out again soon, right?”_ Ryan had several trips lined up, he wanted to get ahead for the supernatural season, even though it was in the future.

“Yes, and then I can complain to you about the lack of leg room.” He got a cheerful wheeze for his efforts and Shane stretched, cracking his back. “I’ll go call Sara so she knows I didn’t die or something.”

_“Sounds good. Also, please ask her where she moved my post-it-notes? It took me, like, five minutes to find my pens.”_ That didn’t shock Shane at all. Sara had cleaned his kitchen once; three months later and he still couldn’t find his pizza cutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a freaking blizzard here...why??? So, read, enjoy, leave a kudos or comment if you feel like it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about your feet.

“Why are your feet so big?” Ryan pipped from his side. Shane barely managed to not flinch from his chair as he removed his headphones. He had been editing a video (Zach was panicking and Shane felt bad) when Ryan appeared out of nowhere. It was a habit Ryan developed.

“I don’t know Ryan, genetics probably? Why?” Ryan smirked and oh, that didn’t bode well for Shane at all. Kelsey, from the spot across from him, started snickering. “Alright, what’s up? Is this another Sasquatch joke?”

Ryan’s eyes crinkled with the effort of holding in his laughter. Shane sighed heavily.

“It’s not another joke! Just an observation. Well, more like a follow up to a water cooler conversation. But, anyway, I thought that since you are one of the resident tall people here- “

“I resent that.”

“I figured you would be a good person to get data from!” Ryan said as if Shane hadn’t tried to interrupt him. He edged his chair closer, knocking Shane a bit out of the way, and leaned against him.

“Please?”

Kelsey wasn’t even trying to ignore their conversation anymore; she was watching avidly with her head propped up with her hands.

“Ok, what did you talk about?” Shane asked as he leaned back in his seat. Ryan cheered and got into his usual pose when he tried to explain things for Unsolved.

“Well, we were talking about cars and penis size- “

“What? Why would you- “

“And how big cars tend to imply that the guy is trying to overcompensate.”

“Oh, good lord- “

“And I mentioned that big feet are also linked to penis size.” Ryan smirked. “So, big guy, do the theories match up? Do big feet equal a big package?” Shane grabbed his coffee mug.

“I hate you.” Ryan just laughed harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's in the negative degrees here and I'm awaiting the trailer for the next season of Unsolved. So, read and enjoy, leave a comment or a kudos if you want :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about a phobia.

Shane felt like he was losing air. Each breath was harder to manage than the last one. Beside him, Ryan was mumbling about something to do with the ghost box, and Shane tried to calm down. 

Their shoot was on a haunted train station, and some of the tunnels could be walked through safely; Ryan jumped on it, despite talking nonstop about being scared. Shane wasn’t too worried… until he saw the size of the tunnels.

See, Shane was a big guy. A big guy that often got placed into smaller places. Most times it wasn’t bad, as he could move his arms and legs and didn’t feel enclosed in the room. This time, the tunnels were so small that Shane had to bend down all the way, almost folded in half, to move. Then the tunnel got smaller. It was beginning to get harder to move his arms around. 

“-which is where it is said that the train conductor walks at night.” Ryan was saying. He looked back at Shane, expecting him to talk. Not to be frozen, gasping, and not looking at him. “Shane?” 

“We need to go back.” Shane had no clue how his voice was so calm. “Please, I-“ 

It was getting worse. Ryan didn’t talk, just grabbed his hand and pulled him. 

“Focus on me, okay? Less than a hundred yards, then we’ll be on the other side, come on, keep moving.” Ryan chanted. Shane’s wrist, which was the first thing he grabbed in the dark, was clammy; the pulse was too fast. 

When they made it out on the other side, Shane slide against the wall, heaving. Ryan got all the flashlights they had and turned them on. 

“It’s ok, we’re out, deep breaths.” Ryan soothed as Shane slumped next to him, still trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, not too happy with this one, but it's as good as it's getting right now. Read and enjoy as usual folks.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What does getting old mean to you?

“Today is the worst day ever!” Sara cried as she entered the apartment. Shane peeked around the doorway that led to the kitchen. He had a pretzel stick poking out of his mouth. At his questioning look, Sara dropped her bag on the couch and marched into the kitchen. Shane, wisely, kept out of her way and sat down at the table. She started to look through the pantry, opening the doors with more force than necessary. 

“So, first I was late to work. Then I spilled coffee all over my computer chair.” She grabbed a bag of chips and flung them onto the table. “I was late for a meeting.” The salsa hit the table with a thud; Shane opened it for her and gently put the lib next to the jar. “And then one of the new interns had the gall to call me old after he pointed out a gray hair!” Finished with her rant for the moment, she plopped herself down on the chair and started to eat. 

“I don’t see any gray hairs.” Shane began. 

“That’s because I pulled it out.” Sara might have also spent twenty minutes in the bathroom looking for others, but she wouldn’t admit it. 

“Gray hairs are normal. I like to think of it as progress.” Shane said. Sara glared at him. “Look, you could have been dead before you even got a gray hair. Wear it like a badge of honor.” 

“I don’t want to get old.” 

“Everyone gets old, Sara. It’s kind of inevitable.” 

“Still, it just sucks. I’m not even thirty yet.” Sara pouted. Shane got a look on his face, the really soft one he didn’t show in public. 

“Well, I guess we can get out gray hairs and complain about getting old together.” He declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Sara/Shane one! We got a trailer for Unsolved True Crimes and I'm so pumped! Now we have to wait till the 26 :) So, read, enjoy, leave a kudos or a comment if you feel like it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about being in hospital.

Shane knew where he was the instant he cracked his eyes open. The blinding, white light and heavy smell of ammonia meant that he was in a hospital, but he could not remember why. There was a throbbing, aching feeling, and when Shane tried to figure out where it was coming from, because it hurt, it took way more energy than he had at that current moment. He also did not register the fact that he was alone in the room. 

“Shane? Buddy, you ok?” Ryan. That was Ryan’s voice. Shane forced his eyes to open all the way. His shorter friend was leaning in front of him, metal bar from the hospital bed jutting into his stomach, hands wavering like they wanted to touch him, but unsure of where to. 

“Ry-?” His throat was having none of that, and he endured a few coughs. In that short span, Ryan had grabbed some water and held it for him. When he had gotten his fill, he, hopefully, conveyed his question. Like magic, Ryan explained everything.

“The storm was worse than we thought. The car rolled into a ditch, you side got dented in.” He looked towards the end of the bed. “Your ankle got pinned; the doctor should be in shortly, he said that it’ll heal in a few weeks.” 

“You ok?” Shane rasped out. Ryan gave him a sad little smile. 

“Ya, you big doof, I’m ok. Just some bumps and bruises.” Ryan sat down on the chair next to the bed. “Rest now, while you can. Sara is booking it here, and then she’s going to rip me a new one and smoother you with all her caring ways.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you.” His voice slurred.

“I know that.” Ryan wheezed out at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can someone please tell Elsa and Jack Frost to lay off with the snow?! Hope you guys enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write about the oldest person you know.

Shane was old.

Well, not in the usual aspect. Being a demon for the past 483 years was a fun experience, most of the time, but some days Shane truly felt each and every year. The office was quiet today, everyone trying to either get ahead, finish, or make sense of their projects. All he wanted was a cup of coffee, but there was only decafe left, and Shane was not feeling up to walking the quarter mile to the nearest coffee shop. 

That, and the fact that he hadn’t fed in at least a week (he was trying to get better. Honestly, he blamed Ryan and Sara for it, the pesky, worried humans). He didn’t need a lot of blood, about the amount of cough syrup an adult took when sick, but still. 

Ryan: Meet in the usual spot.

Awesome, just great, Shane thought as he clicked saved and shuffled over to the forgotten broom closet. Ryan was waiting inside, frowning at him. 

“I thought we had an agreement.”

“Which one, Ryan?” Shane was so not up for this. Ryan moved and pulled him down to the plastic chair, pulling up his sleeve as he did so. Shane’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

“You need to eat. Sara’s worried, she said that you were shaking this morning.” Shane looked down.

“I’m trying to cut back.”

“So, what, you can die and we can watch?” Ryan spat out. Shane winced. 

“No, so you and Sara aren’t afraid as much.” There was a pause then Ryan was hugging him.

“We don’t care that you’re a demon. We care that you’re hurting yourself.” Ryan leaned down so he was looking him in the eyes. “Now, I think you need to eat, then we can get some decent coffee. Sound good, tall-man?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, why did I think that grad school was gonna be easier the second semester. But, anyway, Unsolved is back next week. Also, I caved and wrote a demon!Shane one. Probably won't be the last one. So, read and enjoy! (and stay warm if you're on the East coast!)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there anything you regret?

Shane came in, passed by her without acknowledging her, and slammed the door to his room. Sara, who was worried about the behavior (because Shane never slammed doors or didn’t greet her) dropped her laptop on the couch and hurried to his room.

“Shane?” She rapped her knuckles on the door. “I’m counting to three, then I’m coming in.”

There was no answer. She knocked, and when there was no answer, twisted to knob. Shane was huddled under the blankets, his bags tossed to the side, and she could hear the faint, rushed breathing that only came out when Shane was truly upset. It was an awkward position, but she managed to curl up around him. Shane didn’t notice her, nor did he pull away, so she cuddled him as best as she could. 

“Please tell me what’s wrong?” Sara asked after some time had passed. Briefly, she wondered if she should call in reinforcements. Shane trembled. The concern that she had been feeling doubled. “Shane?”

“My mom told me not to come back.” And Sara froze.

Sara had dated girls before; Shane had mentioned that he was bisexual. While her family knew her dating history, Shane’s didn’t, and it was clear that it hadn’t gone well.

“I wish I hadn’t told her.”

“So, lying was the only way to keep visiting them? Shane, there’s nothing wrong with you.”

The sobs didn’t stop. She pulled her phone out, and typing one handed, fired a text off to Ryan.

_Get your ass over_ _here now_.

“I messed up,” Shane hiccupped.

Sara denied it, somehow managing to unveil his face, and cradle him against her shoulder.

“Nonsense. You’re Shane, you logic your way out of everything.”

“Not this.”

“You’ve got me. And a bunch of other people. You didn’t mess up, Shane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grad school is so much fun. And I mean fun in the sense that I can make a hand splint in my sleep with my opposite hand. So, read and enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When were you most frightened?

“No.” Ryan shook his head. “Nope, no way, not happening.” Shane gave him a bland look before getting up. 

“Fine. I’ll go into the dark, creepy cave myself. All alone. With a killer witch that might put a wicked spell on me.” The taller man raised his arms in a leering way and wiggled his fingers. “Come on, Ryan, if you miss out on filming my murder, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Ryan glared at him.

“I didn’t suggest this episode. I didn’t want to come to this creepy cave. And I’m not going in with you.” Annoyed, Ryan grabbed all the equipment, including the voice recorder and spirit box, and shoved it into Shane’s arms. “Get going. The sooner you disprove all of this, the sooner we can go home.” 

Shane frowned, clearly wanting to press the issue, but Ryan pointed to the entrance to the cave, instructing Shane to walk twenty paces in and stay there for the usual two minutes. 

As he waited, Ryan sat down on the dirt, feeling anxious. This was a creepy case, the Bell Witch, was weird and every inch of Ryan’s body was telling him to get out of there. Not even a minute into the lock-in time, Ryan got up. He didn’t want Shane to be alone in there. 

Real or not, Ryan wasn’t about to let his giant best friend fight a spooky witch by himself. 

Shane nearly lost his balance when Ryan hugged him, just barely managing to not drop the voice recorder, and awkwardly patted Ryan on the head. 

“You wanna talk about it now?”

“No. I want to go home.”

“Sure you don’t want a turn? I really talked you up in there, I think your ghoul will show up.”

“Shut up, Shane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsolved is back tomorrow!!! I'm so excited. Hope everyone is having a good week :) Read, enjoy, leave a kudos or a comment if you wish.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 character traits: daring, restless, jealous

Ryan got jealous of Shane sometimes. It wasn’t over big things, or even the small ones, but it happened so randomly that Ryan felt bad about it when it occurred. It could be over anything, like how Shane could parallel park in two tries rather than Ryan’s four. 

Sometimes it was over personal things, such as the closeness between him and Sara, or how Shane, no matter what time, would answer his phone to listen to Ryan. He always picked up on the first ring; it took Ryan two tries, since his phone was almost always on do not disturb. 

On the other hand, Shane grew antsy at points. Projects got stale for him, and while he had eventually gotten excited about it again, when he had no creative feel for it he could be miserable to work with. Shane would talk about how far his career at Buzzfeed would go on. About whether he had enough skills to fit in at other places. 

Ryan didn’t know what to say to him in those cases. Shane leaving was never a cheerful thought.

But regardless, Shane stuck around. Showed up from morning to late evening (which was most nights), and put in all his effort. Over time, he had developed other solid friendships and relationships with co-  
workers that kept him coming back to Buzzfeed. 

Shane was a dare devil. He often was the cause for lots of supposed heart attacks, from doing stupid stunts in videos to threatening ghosts and demons. It didn’t matter what it was, or how scary, Shane was all in. 

And he always had Ryan’s back. At this point, it was just assumed that he and Shane would be paired up to go through these scripts and stunts. 

Ryan wouldn’t want a boring best friend after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsolved is back! I can't wait for more true crime :) I'm also gonna build on some other stories. I'm going to be starting a Try Guys collection in the upcoming week. Read and enjoy peeps!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon Shane! Ryan is concerned after meeting with Father Thomas.

The moment his body hit the seat, Shane relaxed. His body fell heavily against the door, and Ryan got behind the wheel. 

“Are you ok?” Ryan asked. His face was pinched, and Shane knew that if they were going to go through with this for the supernatural season, he had better get used to Ryan being concerned. 

“I’m ok. He didn’t hurt me.”

“But he was talking about demons. How being in a church and holy water does a lot of harm to someone from hell.” Shane’s mouth quirked; ever since telling Ryan about his demonic heritage, the smaller man had referred to beings from hell as ‘someone’. 

Shane wouldn’t admit it but that was kind of cute.

“Ryan, Father Thomas is right that those things can be used against us.” He held up a hand when Ryan looked ready to jump in. “It hurts, but almost like a quick cut or a bee sting. The most pain I’ve felt from anything religious can equal a bad sunburn.” 

“You couldn’t look at the cross.”

“I could, it just hurts after a while, so I avoid it.” Ryan bit his lip.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go forward with this idea.” Shane frowned. Ryan had been so excited about a demonic episode. He’d even admitted to Shane that the only reason he was open to it was that Shane wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him. 

“Ryan,” Shane waited until his friend looked at him. “We are going to do this. None of this stuff is going to seriously hurt me. And if it does, it won’t be severe or cause me pain for very long. I can handle it.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with it.”

“Well, that’s my choice, Ryan.”

“Fine, we’re doing this.”

“Good. No throwing holy water, got it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it summer yet? Or at least spring break? Hope everyone is having a good day! Enjoy and leave a comment or a kudos if you so choose.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane, snow, and broken bones

Winter was not his favorite season. Shane liked fall for its colorful leaves and cool temperature, spring and summer for the warmth and ability to wear shorts and sunglasses everywhere. But winter was horrible. All he wanted was to be able to go somewhere without a dozen layers. There was also the problem that he could not see what was happening under all the snow, which is why he was currently on the ground, biting back tears, and looking for his fallen phone so he could call someone. 

He had popped out of the office to grab something from his car, a simple task, but he didn't think of the patches of ice that had surrounded his vehicle during the day. One wrong step and he had suddenly found himself on his side, cold seeping into his clothes, and his arm radiating pain. He thought that he had just fallen on it, but when he saw the bend in his limb, all sense of calm went out the window. He slowly got up, using his car to brace himself. 

Shuffling back into the office was a struggle. By the time he got out of the stairway, and walked into the room where they were filming, Shane was trembling from the pain. He didn't look down at his arm; he wasn't sure if he would throw up from the pain or burst into tears. Ryan had his back to him, editing something, and turned when he heard Shane's footsteps. The carefree look Ryan was sporting dropped when he caught sight of his friend. 

"What happened?" Ryan bounded across the room in four strides. "Jesus, Shane, you're shaking." Ryan scanned the room and pulled the chair closest to him and lowered him into it. "Let me see." Ryan went to look at his arm and Shane whimpered when the movement jostled his broken bone. 

"I slipped on the ice. Landed on my arm." Shane sneezed and moaned when that movement sent waves of pain down his arm. "Can you drive me to the ER?" Ryan, who had been panicking for a movement, spurred into action. Within minutes, Ryan had both of them bundled up, files saved, and ushering them both through the office. He did stop to let Andrew, whose desk was closest, know where they were going. On the way, Shane sent a quick text to Sara. It was her day off and he didn't want to do this to her. 

Four hours later, he was home, bundled on the couch as Sara and Ryan fussed over him. The fracture was a clean break, so in 6-8 weeks he would get the cast off. The blue wrapping on the cast already bore Sara's cute doodles and Ryan's babbling message on getting better. So, he was comfy, warm, and on some nice pain medication. 

It became a new task at work for Ryan. If it snowed, he was there, putting down plenty of salt and shoveling his car so he wouldn't fall on his ass again. Sara, his little minion, was more than happy to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...my labs got cancelled cus of the storm, and now I've got an extra day towards spring break :) also, Unsolved is on tonight so I'm pretty pumped. Read and enjoy guys!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane versus the Sally house demon.

Shane wonders if what he was doing was within the limits of being a demon. After all, he knows that causing mischief and fear is woven into the very fibers of his being, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Most of the time before he met Ryan, then Sara, and finally other normal humans he later called his friends, he would only scare people if they got too close. Shane was a reclusive demon, one that wouldn't strike first unless you provoked him. Which was why he hadn't gotten a full night of sleep since the Sally house. Since Ryan decided to hunt for other demons, even though Shane told him not too. Shane was powerful, but not massively strong, and there were some demons he learned were better off left alone. Those that had taken up residence at places for more than a quarter of a century were ones that Shane did not mess with. 

But Ryan was excited, begging and pleading with Shane, trying to convince him that it would be fun. That he wanted to face his fears. Shane, who kept telling Ryan that he had already done the impossible (befriend a lesser demon from the depths of hell), didn't need to seek other demons out. Those ones, Shane described, wouldn't think twice before harming Ryan. Shane had run into other demons, about one or two in the greater LA area, but most kept to the remote places, choosing to limit their interaction with the outside, human world, rather than seek out fellow beings from hell. Shane could understand that; traveling in packs was dangerous, and Shane still hadn't told Ryan about the first demon he befriended that was killed by a bunch of fanatics. Shane didn't talk to anyone for a decade following that loss. Ryan didn't understand that. How could he when all he had was movie and book lore (which was incorrect 99% of the time) to go off of? 

Needless to say, Ryan had attracted the stupid demon from the Sally house, and it followed them. Shane set up wards, without telling Ryan because he did not want to scare him more than the smaller man already was following the episode, and kept watch. He brushed off concern from Sara, who noticed the bags under his eyes getting darker, and took the snacks that Andrew, Zach, and Kelsey forced on him when he started to "look like a bag of bones." Shane never told Ryan or Sara that keeping the wards up, and blocking any negative actions from the demon took up so much of his strength. He started to tighten the notches in his belt. Coffee was his lifeline. He got massive headaches from being the barrier between this thing and the humans he had grown to care for. Finally, after a week and a half, the other demon got bored and left, slithering back to its house, waiting for its next victim. 

Shane was eventually found out. Sara saw his ribs when he was getting changed one day, and it all became too much. Between the exhaustion, the fear, and the pain of being the only thing between the evil entity and his loved ones, Shane was half hysterical and a mess of tears. Sara, who was trying to comfort him, called Ryan in a panic. When Ryan did come (who didn't care about traffic laws, not when Sara was pleading for him to come, that Shane was crying and in pain, and sounded so afraid), he took one look at his best friend and hugged him close. Shane pleaded from him not to do another demon episode, not one as strong as the Sally house demon. At least, that was what Ryan thought Shane was saying; between the gasping and crying, both he and Sara tried their best. All three of them called out the next day, Sara too scared to leave Shane when he was already so strung out, and Ryan, who felt guilty because he friend had been deteriorating in front of him for days and he didn't notice. 

When the higher-ups suggested doing a demon episode for the season finale of the supernatural arch, Ryan didn't hesitate to tell them no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's spring break! Also, I am eagerly awaiting the snow to melt. Hope you peeps enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane not understanding hugs

Ryan loved to touch people. Sara liked touching people. Shane...well he didn't know what to do with touch most of the time. He'd been with Buzzfeed for the past year, and while he did have good friendships with people in the office, he primarily hung out with Sara and Ryan. Ryan, because the guy was funny and highly optimistic about anything and everything. Sara, because she was wonderful, and warm, and seemed to want to be with him for no other reason. She just wanted to spend time with him and treat him right. That was a bizarre concept to him. Shane had either been forced to hide away or be mistrustful of anyone for his own preservation. 

"What are you doing?" Shane asked. He was in the office, late at work with Ryan and Keith, and Sara had crept in to give him coffee before she left. And, apparently, this. Sara had wrapped her arms around him, sighing in contentment, and Shane stood there, unsure of what to do. Demons didn't touch other demons, unless your vice was sex, and Shane had never been into that. He just...hadn't been with other people for a while. Touch was something that he watched from afar, envied, and told himself that it was better to go without then be stabbed and killed over it. A rough way to live, but he couldn't bend his rules. Sara, finally noticing how stiff he was, looked up at him. She frowned, then her face melted into concern. If Shane could have seen his face, then he would have seen wide eyes and a pale face. 

"I'm giving you a hug. Why, are you not into those? I just assumed, everyone here enjoys them." Sara said. She stepped back, and Shane had a weird pang of loss, and he pushed it down. He hadn't determined if Sara had other motives to this. She didn't know about him, the real him, just the tall guy Shane who enjoyed dry humor and poking fun at Ryan. 

"No, I...I just," Shane stuttered. He swallowed. "I haven't been hugged in a while, that's all." The last hug had been back 80 years ago. Some old hag he'd helped. He forgot the reason, but he remembered her scent (cranberries and dirt) and the scruffiness of her clothes. Sara gave him a smile, a sad one, and nodded. 

"Well, if you want one, just ask, ok? I'll give you one. And if I want to give you one, I'll ask. I'm sure we can get you familiar with hugs again." She left him after that, waving goodbye. The coffee in his hand didn't seem as warm anymore. (And what was that, that he could tell that the heat from his cup was cooler than the hug from Sara.) But he didn't race after her. Didn't break down. He just pushed that longing down. Went back to filming. Got home, put on a random movie that he could watch mindlessly, and buried himself under a ridiculous number of blankets. 

It was several months later that he finally took a chance and asked for a hug. It wasn't to Sara, but Ryan. His face lit up, like a giddy kid, and he made a big show of wrapping his arms around his waist, squeezing tight, and not letting go until Shane was ready. Over the next year he got better at asking, then he started to ask if he could give them hugs. Sara and Ryan were ecstatic. Maybe, just maybe, Shane could tell them. Could let them in, farther than any other human had ever gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I didn't post on Thursday. My car got into an accident so I've been dealing with that. Anyway, here it is another drabble! Demon Shane is being my muse currently.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane and some nasty people

Shane was running. Feet hurting, throbbing, pain zinging through his legs with each step. He couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. He got them to follow him, to leave Ryan alone, to stop scaring Sara. He knew he shouldn't have told them. Shouldn't have traded secrecy and loneliness for friends and love and everything else that demons could not have. The rain poured down harder. Shane stumbled on something, went flying face first into the dirt. Mud filled his mouth. Shane got up, desperate, as the chants got closer. He made it past the next tree line before he fell again. Something pressed on him, chanting in his ear, and when Shane threw it off and got a look at him, he yelled. Hunters. The guy, with crazed eyes (and he was a demon, shouldn't he be the scary one?), lunged at him. A hard object struck his head, spots danced in front of his eyes. He couldn't tell one chant from the next, curling up into a tight ball, pleading, begging. He didn't do anything, didn't harm anyone. Holy water was being poured on him. A light sprinkle would only smart, like sunburn. This time, it felt like boiling water. Shane opened his mouth, but he didn't hear any sound come out. Then, he heard other shouts. Off key from the hunters. 

"Get the hell away from him!" Ryan. Blessed Ryan, who was scared of anything dark, was charging into the pack with no hesitation. Sara was flanking him, gripping...something. "I said back off!" The hunter that was above him gave one last kick to his hip and the last bit of holy water in the bottle. Shane trembled, too spent to utter any more words. 

"He's a demon." One of the guys said. Three men. Shane tried to see their faces, but couldn't. His eye sight was swimming. 

"He is a demon, right. But, he also has been living in the LA area for the past four years and had no killings or incidents to his name. That's the code right? No killings and you live them alone?" One of the men, the one on the right, nodded. "Then you just went after him for nothing. Now." Sara pointed the object, the .45 pistol she kept under her bed, at the men. "Get the hell away from him and out of LA. You ever come here again and I'll show you how it feels to be hunted." There was nothing for a time. No chanting, no running, no speaking. Shane jumped when something touched him and he tried to crawl away. 

"No, shit, sorry. Sh, Shane, it's ok." Ryan was crouched next to him, one hand placed on the wet earth, the other hovering towards him. Shane didn't reach for it or lean in. "Sara we need to go. He's...we can't wait out here." 

"Ok. We'll help him up. I'll keep the gun out, I don't fully trust them to go away totally." Ryan reached for him again and Shane let him. He just...he couldn't do this anymore. Four years. He'd been given that long. Maybe it was time to move. Go somewhere remote. He couldn't die quick, but he could live alone. Ryan dragged him, gently encouraging him, telling him that it would ok, that they'd fix this. Shane blocked it out. He didn't care anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an awesome day tomorrow!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sara and Ryan try to make things better (part 2 to previous chapter)

Ryan didn't think that Shane could get this quiet. No matter what he and Sara tried, their friend wouldn't look at them. Shane, who once accepted their touches with smiles and no hesitation (and lord, how long it took for him to trust them, for a simple hug to feel like a priceless gift), now flinched and trembled. Ryan couldn't be sure if he was shaking from the pain or because he was that terrified. Sara had set to work getting a hot shower ready; Ryan was helping Shane walk the short distance between the kitchen and bathroom. 

"You doing ok, Shane? We can take a break if you need to." Ryan said gently. Shane shook his head. Ryan smiled sadly. "Does the no mean that you don't need to take a break?" Ryan knew his friend was not ok. Not by a long shot. Shane had alternated between bouts of crying and shaking on the ride home, curling into the tiniest ball in the backseat, refusing any comfort offered to him. The hunters had certainly scared him, hurt him, and left a pile of wreckage in their wake. Well, Ryan wasn't a quitter, and Shane was not going to be the first friend he abandoned. Sara appeared at that moment and Ryan's smile dropped.

"The shower is ready. Shane do you want help?" Sara asked. She lifted her hand, probably to cup his cheek like she had done countless times before, and Shane pulled away. He shook his head again, and Ryan caught sight of the tears. "Shane, baby, look at me please?" It took a minute, but Shane lifted his head. There were a collection of cuts and bruises. Shane's skin was red in places from where the holy water had been dumped on him. Ryan caught sight of Shane's normal eyes going back and forth between his demon ones. "Shane, we just want to help. I know you're scared, but could you let Ryan and I help you get cleaned up? Maybe take a look at some of those cuts?" There was a nasty one towards Shane's ear; the blood had been smeared only his cheek and neck. 

"I didn't do anything to them. Nothing, I didn't-" Shane whispered. He trembled again, and when Ryan went to steady him, the taller man didn't push him away. "I was good, I didn't hurt them, I promise, I didn't-" His voice hitched and Ryan swiftly pulled him into a hug. 

"We know you didn't, Shane. We believe you." It took both him and Sara to complete the distance to get to the bathroom. Ryan was put on first aid duty, getting all the medical stuff ready, and double and triple checking the locks in the apartment. He didn't fall to notice that Sara's gun was always in close reach. The red marks were worst on Shane's torso; he refused to let them put anything on them, and only seemed to relax when there was a shirt between them and his skin. Ryan didn't go home that night. He and Sara kept watch. Shane curled up on the couch, staring mindlessly at the TV, jumping at any loud noises. Sara placed herself between the couch and the window, Ryan between the lounge chair and the door. It was a saturday, so they didn't spare a thought for work, or how they would explain this. No way Shane would feel comfortable going in. If Shane couldn't handle Ryan and Sara, then he'd be a mess at Buzzfeed. Ryan pushed that out of his mind. As the hours ticked by, they tried (in vain) to get Shane to eat something. At least he let them touch him, however brief the contact was. Shane fell asleep as the sun was coming up. Sara and Ryan kept their watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it could stop snowing that would be great. My frostbite has frostbite.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane learning all about Saint Patrick's Day...with great reluctance

Shane didn't understand human customs at the best of times, and today was being especially trying for him. Sara had pinched him, Ryan did (twice), as well as the rest of those around his area of office space. It was getting rather annoying, so Shane took refuge down in the basement, where the conference rooms were, and went to work for a few hours. No one came down there (since it was just empty rooms and sometimes creepy lighting), but Shane was comfy here. The quiet atmosphere, the dull lighting, and best of all, no pesky humans trying to pinch him. It was past lunch when Ryan found him.

"You know, there is a reason we all have our desks smooshed next to one another. Interacting with people is a requirement of the job." Shane took one headphone out and glared at him. To his credit, Ryan didn't backtrack like he normally did, jut smirked and sat down next to him. Shane, figuring Ryan was done talking, put the ear bud back in, and started to resume his work. Well, he tried too.

"Would you stop it!" Shane cried when Ryan's hand found its way to his arm. The quick burst of pain was nothing, but Shane didn't want to be touched so often. Call it an aversion, or just lack of contact, Shane didn't care; he just wasn't used to being touched at random, and frequent, intervals. Ryan, sensing he wasn't in a playful mood, quickly pulled his hand away. 

"Sorry, Shane, just thought you knew what today was." Ryan said. Shane narrowed his eyes, ripped the headphones out, and tried to make sure his eyes didn't shift to all black. No reason to give Ryan a heart attack when all Shane was feeling was frustration. Besides, he liked Ryan...mostly.

"It's Tuesday, and everyone won't stop pinching me. So, unless this is some sort of office hazing, I would really appreciate it if you could knock it off." Shane explained. All he wanted to do was get through today, go home, and try to sleep for a few hours. Ryan narrowed his eyes. 

"Did you forget what today is?" At Shane's blank look, Ryan sighed. "It's Saint Patrick's Day. You know, the Irish holiday? You have to wear green, if you don't, someone pinches you." Oh, ya, Shane did hear about this holiday...but he wasn't in the business of celebrating. 

"Oh, guess I forgot then." Shane said lamely. Ryan laughed at him, plucked a strand of green beads off his neck and put it on Shane. It clashed with his outfit, but he raised a hand to finger the necklace. Ryan smiled at the action.

"There, you've got some green on you. The pinching should stop now. If it doesn't, let me know, I'll beat them up." Mentally, Shane rolled his eyes. Humans were weird, no doubt about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna have some fun today...after I get the mound of homework done


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane getting annoyed with movie portrayals of demons.

Four hours after leaving the movie theater and Shane was still sulking. Sara thought it was cute, at first, too see her usually stoic boyfriend annoyed, but now she was getting a bit concerned. Shane didn't let many things get to him; the ones that did only served to make him internalize it and ignore it until Sara, or Ryan, forced him to talk about his feelings. It was frustrating, but it only reminded them that Shane had been reintroducing himself to the human world. 

"I can see your brain going a mile a minute," Sara said as her water boiled in the tea kettle. Shane looked up from his phone. 

"What?" Shane said as he focused on her. Sara smiled at him and leaned against the counter top. 

"We need to talk about the movie. Clearly it's bugging you." Sara started. She tended to leave the kid gloves off when talking to Shane about emotions. He clearly didn't like anyone trying to tell him something in a gentle way; given the things that Shane had seen, she could understand why. "I know it was a crappy horror movie." Shane rolled his eyes at that. 

"It wasn't even accurate. We don't live in wells, we don't lure people to their deaths, and we don't walk around with our horns hanging out for anyone to see!" Shane cried. His phone, which was held in his hand, dropped to the kitchen table. Sara smiled sympathetically at the man. "It doesn't bug me that much, Sara, I've seen other movies with demons being the monster. Only a small portion of us act like that, and most of the time they don't think it's worth it." 

"It bothers you, so it does make it worth it to talk about it." Sara said as she poured her water. She took a seat across from Shane. "What I mean is that it's ok to not be ok with all these negative illustrations of yourself. What matters is that you know you aren't like that and Ryan and I know you aren't like that." She didn't mention that Zach had been more insightful that usual, as well as Brent. However, she wouldn't confirm anything. It had taken Shane a long time to trust anyone like that, she wasn't about to bring out his true nature without his permission. 

"I know you guys don't believe that stuff. I never have. I knew my heritage way before the films started to come out and a little monster movie isn't going to wreck my self-esteem." Shane told her. Sara gave him a long look, before putting her cup down and moving to sit in her lap. A pretty strong kiss, along with her giving him a long hug, showed exactly how she felt about his answer. So, he wasn't surprised that when he got to his desk the next morning, there was a post-it-note on his desk. 

[Want to make an accurate monster movie?]-Ryan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I totally forgot to post yesterday! I had my clinical rotation for fieldwork, then a conference (which was interesting as hell but suuuper long), and now I have 2 tests tomorrow. Needless to say, my brain is exploding and I need something that isn't school related. Read and enjoy folks!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane and learning to trust again.

Shane woke up and instantly felt himself go into panic mode. Shifting on the bed, he slipped out, well practiced at not waking up Sara, and sneaked into the living room. There, his breaths came out in short gasps, and all he could do was sit there and try to remember how to breathe. Things like this had been happening for the past few weeks, but Shane had yet to inform anyone. He couldn't and reaching out for help was something he stopped doing now. Each day that he spent in the city felt numbered and the joy he used to have being around people was gone. Now he was just tired and scared.

"If you were struggling to sleep you could have come to me," Sara's voice made him jump, but in the past week or so, voices like hers didn't make him flinch as much. He still preferred silence, so he could sense when someone might attack him, but Sara's voice was always soothing to hear. "Did you have another nightmare, Shane?" No accusation, just an element of worry, and Shane couldn't miss the longing in her voice either. Since the attack, Shane didn't accept or give hugs, kisses were rare, and the only thing he could tolerate was sleeping in the same bed. But not for the whole night unfortunately. 

"I didn't want to bother you. You've been working overtime, Sara, you needed the sleep." Shane didn't even register the denial anymore. Sometimes it was easier to just refuse any help; show them any more weaknesses and they'll take longer to kill you. "Go back to bed it's too late for you to be up." Sara sat down on the couch, a good distance away so she didn't crowd him, and got comfortable. She draped one of the blankets on her legs, lifting up the end for him to slide under if he wanted too. Shane didn't and Sara left the blanket knowing not to push Shane into cuddling.

"Asking for comfort isn't wrong, Shane, I'm worried about you. How many nights have you woken up like this?" The taller man hunched down, not wanting to admit that he couldn't sleep peacefully since the hunters. The worst of the bruises and cuts were fading, and his skin was no longer red from the holy water, but he flinched at anything and any touch from a human was enough to send him into a panic attack. "Shane, I know you don't do feelings, and usually I let it go, but you need to let me in. Holding all of this crap inside is going to hurt you."

"Can't do anymore damage." Shane hissed. The beginnings of a sob crept up his throat. "What do you want me to say, Sara? That I haven't gotten a full nights sleep since-" He shook his head, the words wouldn't leave his mouth. "I can't sleep. Anything I try to eat or drink comes back up. I want to touch you, but anytime I try I panic." His fingers played with a frayed edge of the blanket. "I thought I had found something good here and now it feels like I'll never have it. What's to say that the hunters come back?" And there it was, the root of the problem. The hunters were still out there, waiting or whatever, and Shane was in the open. 

"They won't touch you. Shane, Ryan has been looking up dozens of protection symbols and charms to keep you safe. Neither of us are mad that you haven't been as tactile as you used to be. We're worried about you, and how best to help you." Finding no words, Shane slipped his legs under the blanket. Sara smiled sadly at him and didn't say anymore on the subject.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is kicking my ass right now. Holy crap. Well, read and enjoy.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Shane on the road

Ryan's car was the one they used to travel around to film and get their stories. It wasn't as if they had to use his car, or that Ryan insisted or Shane refused his own, but Ryan's car was the roomiest and had the better AC. Which for Shane, who was a literal giant and always dying of heat, was a huge selling point. They were coming back from Northern California after filming a new unsolved. Ryan was jamming out to his music, fingers tapping the steering wheel, while Shane leaned back in his seat and watched the scenery. 

"I think we should go to a concert." Ryan said suddenly. After being friends for so long Shane didn't bother asking why or how, just nodded. "It should be a rock concert, not country, maybe a heavy metal band!" Shane let him ramble for a few minutes, sending out a quick text to Sara to let her know they were alive, and turned down the music from the radio. "What do you think, regular rock and roll or heavy metal?" 

"Is that even a question? Regular rock and roll, neither of us is going to fit in with the heavy metal club." Ryan agreed and that was the end of that conversation. They stopped for coffee and food, swapped positions, and continued on their way home. Ryan posted videos to Snapchat and Instagram, Shane acting annoyed but it was all in fun and Ryan knew that. They debated the merits of expanding on their current paranormal equipment, which Shane originally objected to, but finally gave in. Ryan needed something to believe in after all. 

It was past one in the morning when they got home. Ryan dropped him off, told him that he would text to say he got back safely, and drove off. Shane didn't bother unpacking, just brushed his teeth, put on some clothes that weren't blue jeans, and curled up in bed. Fifteen minutes later Ryan texted him, they both said goodnight, and fell asleep. At least, until Ryan started to blow up his phone around four in the morning. 

It was a link to concert tickets, listings of all the people playing, and Ryan urging him to buy his own ticket so they could both go. Groaning, Shane felt around till he found his wallet, pulled out his card, and typed his information in. A couple of minutes later it was all set and he let Ryan know. After far too many happy and excited texts (especially for this early in the morning), Shane bid Ryan goodnight a second time and told him he would see him in the morning. 

Ryan was tired the next morning, so Shane took pity on him, bought him a large coffee, and then started his day. Two weeks later, after the concert, they were driving back home from another shoot. Ryan, sitting on the passenger side this time, got the same grin that preludes to some idea. "Hey Shane, how do you feel about getting a pet? The local animal shelter is having adoption day." And just like that, Shane knew he was going to have to make room in his life for a pet. At least he would have a buddy and Ryan to act as designated babysitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, falling behind on posting. Also, next week I'll be switching over to my other story. By that point Unsolved might be back.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> De-aged Shane clings to Ryan

Ryan wasn't sure of the specifics of the spell, but somehow he and the Unsolved crew were responsible for a tiny, child-version of Shane. Shane, who had eyed them all before gluing himself to Ryan and wriggling away from anyone else who tried to touch him. It took a while to figure out, but the spell was temporary (thank god), and after packing up the stuff they headed back to the hotel to sleep. Ryan had to carry Shane in, since he refused to be put down, and then was struck with what to do now. Sara would be calling soon and would flip when she saw the state of her boyfriend. 

"Ok, so, we need to get you ready for bed." Ryan said. Shane whined when he was placed on the bed, and then pouted as Ryan started to go through the bags.

"Not a baby." He said seriously. Ryan laughed. Figures Shane's sass would appear as soon as the kid could talk. "Can we go home?" Pulling a shirt from Shane's bag, it would be large enough for him to sleep in, Ryan helped the kid take off his shoes. 

"Tomorrow. And hopefully you'll be back to normal by then or Sara is going to kill me." Shane perked up when he heard the mention of his girlfriend. 

"Can we call her? Please, Ryan?" How was this kid so cute. After getting ready for bed, which took longer than he would have thought, Ryan finally caved and pulled out his cell phone. Shane wouldn't settle for a regular phone call so Ryan hit the FaceTime button. Several rings later, Sara's face popped up. 

"Ryan, hey! What's up? Is Shane in the shower or sucked into his laptop?" Ryan smiled sheepishly. Before he could answer, Shane popped up.

"Sara! Hi!" A long paused passed and Shane, who didn't sense the tense silence, kept smiling at the two adults. Sara took a deep breath. 

"Shane, baby, cover your ears, ok?" Oh, lord, Ryan was going to die. Shane covered his ears, looking a bit confused, but settled comfortably against Ryan's chest. When he stopped moving, Sara turned her focus on Ryan. 

"Ryan, my boyfriend better be back to normal giant size when I see him. If he isn't, then the next episode of Unsolved will be on the sudden murder and disappearance of Ryan Bergara." Then there were a lot of non-child friendly words. Ryan just sat and took it, wondering how this was his life. Maybe he should take a break from the supernatural...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Presentations and practical's have consumed my life. So, read, enjoy, and Happy Easter!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane gets attacked at the Sally House. Ryan is not okay with it.

Shane found it odd that out of the pair of them, everyone said that Ryan was the most likely to be attacked. That couldn't be any more wrong, since spirits didn't have enough juice to actually hurt a human and demons, generally, left people alone unless they were provoked. Which was what they had been doing. Going to the Sally House was not Shane's idea of a good time, but Ryan had been looking forward to it for months, saying how great it would be for the series, and that he wanted to confront his fears about demons. Shane guessed that being best friends with one just wasn't good enough. 

So, here they were, in a house inhabited by a demon, and Shane was regretting every minute of it. They had annoyed the demon, the demon did not like that, and now they were paying the price. Shane was crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, his body throbbing, and Ryan was screaming. Shane could tell that the other demon was close, and ignoring his own pain, got up and went to his best friend. Because while the demon could harm him, Ryan would be injured even more. Human's were squishy like that. Sara liked to point out that they were durable, but Shane didn't agree. He'd seen enough things to know just how fragile humans, like his Ryan, were. 

It was hard to explain the process of fighting against another demon. The battles could get intense, or simply last a few seconds. Many times it was over turf, or a person if the demon was into possessions, so the squables didn't last long. The Sally House demon liked its battles. Liked them long, and silent, and each knock given to the opposite party was done so with cursing and a great deal of hate. Shane had forgotten just how ruthless demon battles could be. When it was over, for the time being, Shane didn't answer Ryan's questions, just grabbed him, and their belongings, and ushered them out of the house. 

"What the hell was that?" Ryan said as soon as they were in the car. Shane listed against the window. "You get pushed, more like thrown, down the stairs and then you do some weird ghoul-ly shit, and now we're fleeing! Do you need a hosptial? Should I call Sara?"

"That was why we only annoy simple ghosts. And ya, the other demon threw me, but I've had worse." Shane said. Ryan glared at him and Shane knew he would be forced to tell him about those other worse times. "I don't need a hosptial, they wouldn't find anything. It'll be healed before we get there. And don't call Sara, she worries enough as it is." Sara, once she got past the whole 'my boyfriend is a demon' thing, soon transformed into a mother hen. If Shane told her, he'd be looking at some serious coddling for the next month. 

"She worries about you because this kind of stuff happens and you brush it off like it's nothing! Need I remind you that none of those fights have sound? All we see is you glaring into space and sometimes objects, or yourself, being thrown around. We worry because somewhere in your mind you think that this is ok." Shane sank down into the seat. 

"I'm trying, Ryan. S'just hard to do when you've only had yourself to deal with." Shane muttered. Ryan pulled him into an ackward hug, not really managing, but he did rub his back and then helped him get more comfortable. 

"We are going to talk about this. You aren't in trouble," Ryan clarified as he started up the car (Ryan and Sara did that a lot, making sure Shane knew that the reason they were mad was not Shane's fault). "So, be prepared to give a lecture on demon pissing matches. And you better give the best Q and A of your life." Shane gave a watery chuckle at that as they pulled away from the curb and left the Sally House behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Also, it's finals week (got hand therapy tomorrow and mental health on Thursday), my car is finally fixed, and my soul is still wrecked from Infinity War. So, read, enjoy, and leave a comment or kudos if you feel like it :)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane has been upset lately. Ryan and Sara are on the hunt to find out why.

It began on a Tuesday. First, Shane didn't spoon her, didn't try to make her giggle over breakfast, and seemed sullen and withdrawn on the drive into work. Sara thought that it was just a morning thing, that Shane hadn't slept well, and being around people (mainly Ryan) would improve his mood. It was a pipe dream, because Shane disappeared into the depths of the Buzzfeed basement the second they got there. Ryan, who had been waiting by the coffee station, visibly wilted when Sara came by without their giant demon friend. So, now, they were worried and hunting for the reasons responsible for Shane's behavior. 

Shane was curled up on the couch in the basement, headphones in, looking like he wanted to sink into the cushions. Sara sat on the open space next to him; Ryan took the chair opposite Shane. "Could you take off the headphones for a second, babe?" Sara asked. Shane looked up, glanced back at his screen, and then slowly removed the ear buds. "Can we talk?" Shane hunched his shoulders, looking like he was expecting to be scolded, but both of them were puzzled as to why. "You don't have to tell us anything right away. But, we have noticed some concerning things-" "You didn't even greet me this morning, you huge bigfoot!" Ryan interrupted. 

"There's nothing wrong, I'm just tired." Shane muttered. Sara could almost believe that. Sometimes, Shane explained that getting to sleep wasn't the problem, staying asleep was. Demons didn't rest long, or at all in some cases, so he wasn't used to the usual sleep patterns of everyone else. In the beginning he passed it off as insomnia, but Ryan (and later Sara), knew the signs. 

"If you were tired," Ryan said. "You would be pale, unable to sit still, and wouldn't let either of us out of your sight." Shane looked away, picking at his nails, which was a nervous tick that hadn't shown up in the past few weeks. They were coming up on eight months of Sara knowing about his demon status, and the constant reassurances had done a lot to sooth him back into his normal personality. "Buddy, we just want to make sure that you're ok, that it isn't anything serious." Shane shrugged again and spoke, avoiding both of their eyes. 

"It's been three years. I've never been with people for this long, and not with people that knew about...me." Shane sounded sad which they couldn't stand. 

"Shane, are you regretting something? We aren't going anywhere, babe, I couldn't care less if you were from Michigan or Hell." Their friend sniffled and Ryan gently took the laptop so he could curl up with his best friend and offer him the comfort he needed. It seemed like he and Sara still had a ways to go on reassuring Shane that they weren't going anywhere. With some gentle prodding, they got him to come upstairs, forced some lunch into him, and then spent the rest of the night snuggling him close. 

Clearly there were some landmines in Shane's past, and while they hadn't gotten the full story yet, Ryan and Sara could only prepare for future sad days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm late posting. Finals really kicked my butt and I wanted to enjoy a few days away from my computer so I could interact with people outside of the OT program (lol just kidding we've been texting each other non-stop). But I'm back! So, two updates from me tonight :) enjoy peeps!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane has a bit of fun for Halloween.

Ryan stared at Shane's costume. The taller man was openly grinning, seemingly pleased with his choice, and Ryan couldn't help but give in and laugh with him. Buzzfeed was holding the yearly Halloween party, one that was looked forward to by most of the office, and Ryan had been trying to see what Shane was going as for weeks. Shane had kept his mouth shut, only smirking at Ryan's questions, and told him to be patient and that it would be worth it. 

Shane was dressed in red, a clip on tail attached to his belt, and a pair of plastic horns on his head. He was clutching the cheap pitchfork as well. Ryan, on the other hand, went as a storm trooper. "Do you like it? I figured I would try to go as myself this year." Shane, in an even rarer chain of events, flashed his eyes so they went black for a second. Ryan was ecstatic. He had never seen Shane so comfortable since opening up about his demonic side. That, and Ryan felt pretty safe. Shane would totally win against any fights with the supernatural. 

"I would have never guessed this. But red does suit you." Ryan conceded. Shane smiled, looking extremely pleased with himself. The two of them walked into the building, passing by several of their co-workers, and got to the main floor. Some of the desks had been moved out of the way to make more room and there was Halloween themed music playing in the background. Shane was getting lots of compliments on his costume, and Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the way Shane puffed up from the praise. 

Sara, who had stayed late to work on a shoot, only rose an eyebrow when she saw her boyfriend. Shane held her gaze for a few moments before both of them gave into helpless giggles. "You know, when I was telling my friends that my boyfriend acts like a demon sometimes, I didn't think you would go all out to dress like one." Shane only shrugged and did a twirl before focusing on Sara's costume. She had decided to go as a woodland fairy, to go with her newly dyed hair. 

"You know, I think this was the best Halloween I've celebrated in a long time." Shane said as they were seated outside, beers in hand, watching people mingle and act out because of the booze. "I never went out in the past, just stayed inside, but if I was lucky I found a mask and enjoyed myself." 

"Like one of those creepy bunny ones?" Ryan asked as he finished the last of his drink. Shane nodded. 

"It wasn't that terrifying. But it served its purpose." Shane craned his neck to look at Ryan. "I might actually celebrate next year, but I need to do some hard thinking to top this one." Ryan rolled his eyes and agreed. Only his best friend would dress up to do a satirical impression of his demonic roots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we are caught up!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane gets sick. Sara and Ryan panic.

Shane blamed it on a combination of things. He blamed the weather (which had been awful lately, especially for sunny L.A.), blamed his poor immune system, and his friends and co-workers for coming in to work even though they all had the plague. Now, Shane was curled up on his couch, having won the argument to veg out in front of the television, listening half-heartedly to his girlfriend and best friend bicker at each other in the kitchen.

"No! Chicken soup is the best to consume when sick!" Ryan cried as he stormed into the room. He placed a bowl and a glass of water on the coffee table, encouraging Shane to sit up and eat. Sara, being the competitive person she was, followed Ryan out, plopping down a plate with a slice of toast and a cup of hot tea. From a quick sniff, he could smell that it was lemon and honey. Ryan glared at her, and then back at Shane, then began to rearrange the blankets. 

"What are you doing?" Shane said in a raspy voice. He'd lost his voice two days ago. Ryan paused for a moment then draped another blanket over his larger friend. 

"You need to stay warm, Shane. Now, shush and eat your soup."

"Or eat your toast!" Sara piped up. "At least drink the tea, that will help you warm up and sooth your throat." Groaning, Shane knew the only way to get some peace was to consume as much as he could without feeling nauseas. Somehow he managed to get all of the tea and half the water down, a few bites of toast, and about half of the soup. His eyes began to drift shut, and soon he was passed out cold. When he awoke again, it was dark out, and Shane was tightly tucked in. 

If he listened carefully, he could hear Sara moving around upstairs, and Ryan was moving around somewhere behind him. With some effort, he got himself free and sat up, taking care to not sit up too quickly and get dizzy. Ryan came out a few moments later. He handed him a warm mug of tea, it was obvious he had taken some of Sara's advice, and Shane did admit that it made him feel the tiniest bit better. 

"Wanna have a marathon of Parks and Rec?" Ryan suggested. The shower turned on upstairs, and the soft sounds of Sara's music from her phone echoed down the stairs. 

"Ya," Shane coughed as he settled in. Getting a better grip on the mug, he leaned back against the pillows. "That sounds good." They watch an episode and a half before Sara joined them. She curled up next to him, ignoring the open space on the other couch, and Shane took some of her weight so all of them could finally relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The summer session of classes start tomorrow. I'm a second year grad student now...holy crap. Well, read and enjoy :)


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Shane versus a pair of heels.

Shane felt like a newborn dear, and his daily walk to the coffee machine seemed to take twice as long. However, he did make an attempt before giving in and shuffling back to his chair. Then, using his rolling seat to his advantage, he wheeled his way over to the kitchen area. Keith, who had been roped into this video again, was leaning against the counter, his feet forced into a pair of hot pink stilettos. 

"You look as miserable as I feel." Shane said as he waited for his coffee to brew. Keith grumbled, and the two of them tried to ignore the throbbing of their feet while they consumed their beverages. 

It wasn't long before Ryan walked in, looking for the next thing to use to stabilize himself, and he didn't care as he forced his way onto part of Shane's seat. Shane, rolling his eyes, shifted over and flipped off Keith who started to make kissy faces at them. 

"Why did we sign up for this? My feet feel broken, how the hell do women put up with this?" Ryan moaned. He reached to take off his four inch platforms, but Keith threw a sugar packet at him, telling him that they couldn't do that yet.

"Sara signed me up and Quinta signed you up." Shane looked over to Keith. The other man shrugged and said that Ned signed him up. The three men tried to hide in the kitchen for as long as possible, until Kelsey found them and forced them back out onto the main floor.

The rest of the day was a nightmare. There was a fire drill, two meetings on the third floor and the elevator was out of business, and Shane had the unpleasant fortune to park his car in the further space possible from the main door. Sara, who had been laughing at his plight at day, but did take pity on him when they got home. She rolled her eyes at his dramatics, put did call for pizza and even offered to massage his feet if they still hurt. 

Ryan, on the other hand, had taken to sending him countless Snapchats, all describing how sore his feet were, and that Shane should be strong and go on without him. Sara laughed and shook her head, telling Ryan to get his act together. 

The two men agreed the next day to never agree to this ever again. Because he still didn't fully trust his girlfriend, he hid his shoes in order to protect what was left of his feet. Sara, being the dork that she was, found them and threw them in with her collection of heels anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 of summer classes are done...holy crap these next few weeks are gonna be crazy


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane loves snakes.

There was something soothing about having the animal on his shoulders or wrapped around his arm. It was a new video segment they were trying out, caring for an exotic pet for a week, and Shane was in love with the Ball Python in his arms. The little thing was named Talia and he was so smitten with her. The others that had been picked, Ryan, Kelsey, and Andrew weren't thrilled. If anything, Shane was stepping in and helping them with their own animal in addition to his own. Snakes had always fascinated him, the way they moved and hunted, so he wasn't weirded out when Talia began to nest in his hoody pocket as he edited videos. Ned, who had his desk near his, kept checking in on him to make sure he was ok. Shane chalked it up to his new father insticts and kept insisting that he was just fine. 

"Aren't you afraid that it'll bite you? It doesn't have any poison, right?" Ned asked as he rolled his chair over. Shane plucked an earbud out and gave Ned a tired look.

"No, she isn't venomus. She can bite, but it would only leave me with a few scratches. A cat could do more damage." Shane explained. He left out the part that the bigger snacks, like the boa constrictors, could tears skin and flesh if they bite you. Ned was already worried he didn't need that type of nightmare fuel. 

"It's no use, Ned, Shane's two steps away from adopting her." Ryan piped up as he slipped into his chair. His pet, a tiny corn snake, was wrapped around Ryan's wrist. "Don't laugh, I'm serious, Shane would adopt her in a heartbeat. The guy is always cooing at them when we go to the pet store." Ned frowned.

"But Shane doesn't have any pets." 

"I know, Ned. But how can you not go into a pet store and look at the little critters?" Shane pointed out. He put his headphone back in and went back to his computer. The rest of the afternoon went by pretty quickly, and uneventful, and eventually Talia slide out to curl up around his shoulders. Deciding that it was time for a coffee break Shane headed over to the break room. He got some weird looks but no one asked too many questions; that's what working in the Buzzfeed office did to you. 

"You should adopt her." Ryan's voice made him jump. The smaller man was leaning against the door frame. "The breeder has been hitting at it since day one." Shane smiled. A faint blush came over his face. Ryan smirked. "You already got the process started, didn't you?" Shane laughed. 

"I caved on the second day. She's coming home with me after the week is done." Ryan shook his head and left him alone to make his coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onto the second week of clinicals! Also, it's been super hot and my car (which is all leather) has been over a 100 degrees everyday. So, stay cool, read, and enjoy!


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane would love to sleep for more than a couple of hours. Ryan and Sara decide to try every human remedy to aid him.

Demons didn't need sleep to live. Sure, they had to ingest a small portion of blood every few weeks, needed to stretch their dark magic, and sometimes practice it, but other than that anything else was an add on. Shane had gone years without sleep, only laying down when social etiquette called for it, so becoming friends with a bunch of humans who found his two to three hour sleep cycle horrifying was throwing him for a loop. So, here he was on a Friday night, standing in the middle of his living room staring at Ryan and Sara. There were a bunch of blankets, some that had to be new, as well as candles, lotions, and a pair of new pajamas. Closing the door behind him, Shane locked it, and then put his stuff down in the usual spot by the coffee maker. 

"Is there a reason why you two have gotten all this stuff?" Sara pouted at him, and that wasn't even fair, he didn't stand a chance against her when she did that and everyone knew it. 

"We've decided that you need to get a bit more rest," Ryan started. "So, we got a few human things that you're going to try. There are blankets, some are fluffy, and there's a few heavier ones. Keith mentioned those might help with the fidgeting. We also brought candles, in lavender or eucalyptus, fuzzy socks, and new pajama's! Sara had to get the Batman ones when she saw them. We didn't know if you liked noise to fall asleep to, so we have a couple of CD's and some playlists of nature sounds on our phones." Shane was suddenly aware that he was standing there with his mouth wide open. 

"Shane, are you ok?" Sara piped up in a concerned tone. "I know we should have asked before hand, but we were really excited to try, and nearly everyone in our branch of the office wanted to help." 

Shaking his head, Shane toed off his shoes and walked over to the couch. "No, it's fine. Just...just give me a second to process this." Ryan smiled brightly at him, knowing that Shane wasn't refusing them, and left to go to the kitchen. Shane heard him fiddling with the coffee maker a moment later. "This sounds...interesting. Not sure how well any of this will work but I'll try it." He smiled sheepishly at Sara. "It would be nice to actually sleep through the night for once." 

It turned out that Ryan and Sara had an entire plan. Sara sent him off for a shower and when he was done the new Batman pajamas were on the counter, warm from the dryer, along with the fuzzy socks and a new bottle of lotion. After putting them on, Shane re-entered the living room, and was ushered onto the couch, bundled up, and given a cup of hot tea. Sara said it was called 'Sleepytime', designed to help the individual drift off. Ryan asked him if he wanted any of the candles and he settled on the eucalpytus one; the lavander one overwhelmed him. 

Instead of music, they settled on an old TV show, sound on low, and Ryan dimmed the lights. Two episodes in, Shane began to lean more heavily onto Sara, and Ryan grabbed the mug before it could fall out of his hands. Shane didn't notice when he fell asleep, but Sara and Ryan did, and both of them were thrilled when Shane managed a solid six hours that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to update last week...needless to say this is late. The last week of clinical was rough and my mental state was all over the place. But I'm back and feeling better so onto a new chapter! Enjoy!


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon! Shane has a bad nightmare. Sara is a trooper and gets them both through it.

Since the attack, Shane had been avoiding sleep for as long as possible. Ryan had been worried, as he always was following the incident, but he was finding all these reasons to come over and spend the night. At this point, Sara had set up the guest room for him and put out another plate on the dinner table. Now, Shane's entire routine for getting ready for bed was thrown off. He didn't find hot showers comforting anymore, no matter how many blankets he got he was still cold, and half the candles he owned had to be thrown out because they were all earthy smells that sent him back to the forest. Most nights he was awake, staring at the ceiling, waiting for morning and listening to Sara breathe. Hence tonight's problem. He had been awake, but eventually he drifted off, and woke up sobbing, scrambling out of the bed and into the hall. Sara, bless her, was awake in a second and followed him, turning on the lights and waiting until Shane was aware of her so she could approach him. 

"Shane, I'm going to touch you, alright? Just a hug, that's all, is that okay?" Sara asked. Shane didn't answer right away, but he finally nodded, gasping as he tried to get himself under control. 

"T-the door," Shane hiccupped. "Is the door l-locked? Can you check?" Sara quickly did that, turning on the lights as she went and then turned back to find Shane curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. "I dreamt it again." Sara sat down next to him and relaxed when he leaned into her.

"The door is locked, babe." Sara pulled the afghan off the floor and wrapped them both up. "Do you want to talk about it? Those fuckers won't come back, Ryan and I won't let them." Shane shook his head.

"No, it's always the same one." He sniffled. "I didn't recognize the bedroom at first. I just knew I needed to leave." Sara rubbed her hand over his back gently. With the padding from the blanket and his shirt Shane didn't flinch away. 

"You're home and you're safe. The door is secure and the alarm system is on. Plus, Ryan did those runes around the place." She placed a feather light kiss on his brow. "You're alright, Shane, I'm here, you're here, and even if things are shitty right now they won't be like this forever. Can you hang on for me just a little longer?" Shane pressed in closer until his head was cradled by her shoulder. 

"It's hard to be tough right now." He whispered. "I wish things could just go back to normal, you know?" It broke her heart to hear the pleading tone in his voice. On the surface, Shane was holding it together because he had no other choice. But behind closed doors he was a wreck. 

"I do, Shane, I really do." They both eventually fell asleep on the couch, Sara wrapped around him, as if that act could guard him against future bad dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Just got back from a weekend in PA and my body is aching but it was worth it. So, read and enjoy peeps :)


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People should know not to mess with a demon...especially if that demon is Shane.

Ryan whimpered as the ropes dug into his skin. Beside him, Sara tried not to struggle, as they heard movement from the floor above them. The other three demons had disappeared upstairs a while ago, but sometimes a thud or other noises could be heard. Ryan didn't know where they were, just that they most likely weren't in LA anymore and that Shane was not there. He and Sara were with other demons and Shane was not there. Sara leaned against him, as much as her bonds would allow, and tried to offer some sort of comfort. Shane would come for them. He would know something was off when they didn't check in, which happened every other hour, and since it wasn't a work day, they had no reason to not respond. The sound of glass breaking made them both jump and three sets of footsteps flew down the stairs. The taller demon looked frantic. 

"I thought you said that they didn't have any connections to our world!" He cried. The lights flickered and the only female whimpered. Sara smirked, knowing full well just who had shown up. Shane took no prisoners when someone threatened the people he loved.

"You really should have done your research better." Ryan relaxed as Shane casually walked down the stairs. His eyes were totally black, a sign of just how pissed he was, and the smile on his face was anything but reassuring. "And by that, I meant that you shouldn't have done this." A flick of his hand had the ropes falling and the tall demon flinched, taking several steps back, as if that could save him. "I thought I made it clear that any attempts to harm humans, especially these two humans, would be dealt with harshly." 

"We didn't harm them!" The female cried out. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Shane walked over to them, gently turning their faces, inspecting their wrists, none of the previous aggression visible to them. His mouth pressed into a thin line when he saw the forming bruises on Ryan's wrists and the Sara had several cuts to her face. Ryan pressed against him, seeking comfort, and Shane gave it, the hug being tight and soothing. Sara relaxed as Shane pressed a kiss to her forehead. For a moment, he switched his eyes for them, and then turned back to the other three demons in the room. Wisely, Ryan and Sara stayed behind him, each of them still touching a part of Shane. 

"I was going to let you leave here unharmed." Shane began. His voice was flat and the door shut loudly, the lock clicking into place with an ominous sound. "But, you lied. You hurt them and tried to hide it from me." Frost began to form on the windows. Ryan shuffled closer, so he could press part of his face against Shane's back, but still peek out to see what would happen. "So, you three will be a lesson." 

"A lesson for what?" The third demon croaked out. Shane smiled viciously. 

"A lesson for anyone else stupid enough to try to harm the people I care about."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like a week late and I apologize. On a better note, I applied for a job and I got it! So, read and enjoy peeps!


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sick Shane and overprotective Sara.

The flu hit him out of nowhere. One morning, Shane woke up with the inability to breathe through his nose, a rolling stomach, more aches and pains than he knew what to do with, and a giant headache. All he wanted was to roll over and die, preferably soon, and his small whimpers into the pillow made it all the more pitiful. Sara, who had someone managed to escape the flu, for the moment, took it upon herself to call them both out. She cited that Shane was contagious, and couldn't work, and that she had been exposed to him, putting herself under quarantine. Then she threw herself into mother-hen mode. She ran out to CVS and got everything and anything you needed to fight the flu, and then in an act that made Shane feel way more emotional than normal, she got him things that served to make him feel better. In addition to ginger ale, she got him the bottle of raspberry ice tea, and the club sandwich crackers instead of saltines. She also picked up brownie mix, for when he could stand to eat something more than watered down soup, and some sort of bath bomb meant to open up your sinuses. 

"You shouldn't kiss me," Shane rasped as Sara pressed her lips against his sweaty forehead. "I'm gross, Sara." He was in day old pajamas, his shirt soaked with sweat, and he hadn't showered yet. Sara, who was grinning, didn't seem to care. 

"Nah, I've seen worse. Besides, how else am I going to check your temperature?" Sara asked. Shane raised an eyebrow and looked over to the CVS bag that held two thermometers and then to one currently on the coffee table. Sara blushed but quickly pressed her lips to his cheek before going off to the kitchen to get him some more water and his next dose of medication. 

Being sick usually screwed up his sleep schedule, so Shane passed out quickly after taking the pills, only to rouse when he heard Sara's voice on the phone. 

"I think he might be up for visitors after tomorrow. Ya, I know Ryan, you got your flu shot, but Shane is trying to regain some sense of being human. He hasn't even made it down the hall to the shower yet." Sara clanged something in the other room, which made her swear, and Shane let a small smile creep onto his face. His girlfriend was not meant to be a sneaky spy, that was for sure. "Alright, I'll talk to him and if he agrees, you can come over Thursday." Shane must have drifted off again, because he jumped slightly when Sara readjusted the sheet covering him. 

"Tell Ryan to come over." Shane croaked. Sara brushed back his hair. "He's gonna come anyway, might as well give him an actual invitation." Sara laughed at that and pulled out her phone to text Ryan. The phone buzzed back immediately. Sara walked with him as he tried to shuffle to his room, slowly changing out of his clothes, and then back to the couch. That left him feeling winded and Sara forced him to drink some more water and urged him to nibble on the plain toast she gave him. Ryan showed up roughly twenty minutes later, carting over several movies Shane hadn't seen yet, and a carton of soup from the restaurant down the street from his apartment. The three of them ended up staying awake into the early hours of the morning, well, Ryan and Sara did, while Shane slept between them. His fever broke the next morning to both of their relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm melting in this heat.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane and Sara start a new chapter

Neither of them planned it. Ironically, doesn't it always start out like this? They've been married for two years, just moved into a bigger apartment in a nicer area, which is also closer to their friends and work, and are just coming off of some impressive Buzzfeed shoots and promotions. They might have gotten frisky at certain points (last Tuesday was a fun night and their kitchen counter now looked deceptively innocent), and the thought of children never really occurred to them. Sure, Sara liked kids and Shane could roll with them, so they only entertained the idea for a few moments before moving on. They wouldn't be the first people in the office to have kids or the first couple either. So, when Shane got home and saw that Sara was sitting on the kitchen counter, rolling her car keys back and forth in her hands, he was wary. 

"You know you have to put the keys into the car for it to work, right?" Shane teased as he set his stuff down. Sara looked up, then back down at her hands, and dropped her keys to the counter with a light thud. "Something wrong?" Sara smiled ruefully at him.

"I'm three weeks like, Shane. Nineteen days late, to be exact, and I've been trying to work up the nerve to go get a test for the last fourty-five minutes." Sara said. She told him calmly, as if they were discussing the weather, and not the possibility that they might be expecting parents. A small thrill went through him at that, because as terrifying as it sounded, he could see it. A small baby with Sara's eyes, their potential child, and ya, he felt a small whoosh of excitement in the very idea of it. "I just...we never actually talked about it, and now I'm late, and I'm scared to see if it's because I have an alien baby growing in me." Shane chuckled at that and walked over, kissing the top of his wife's head, and hugged her as she sagged against him. 

"I think that we should go out, together, and buy a test. Then a couple of pints of ice cream and a bottle of wine." Sara looked up and frowned. "The wine is if it isn't positive and the ice cream is if it is. So we've covered both options." Twenty minutes later they were at a Rite-Aid, paying for not one test, but four. Sara wanted to be sure. She chugged the two bottles of water and small jug of apple juice in the car, then waited a few minutes until disappearing into the bathroom. Shane waited outside. When Sara was done, she left the tests on the bathroom counter and pulled Shane into the living room, setting a timer on her phone. 

"What if it's negative?" Sara asked. Shane shrugged. "Well, we could move on or try again, if you wanted too. We didn't talk about it," Shane hurried when Sara opened to talk. "But I...kinda like the idea of us having a kid. We're both together, we have an awesome place, we're in good spots with our careers." He rubbed his nose against hers. "I'm madly in love with you and an baby we have, even an alien baby, is only going to make me love you more." Sara laughed and kissed him. 

"Ok, if it's an alien baby I'm down for it." Shane thought it was hysterical that they were discussing future offspring like this. The timer went off and they got up, slowly walking to the bathroom. Sara hugged him before walking in. "Are we going to be okay with whatever the results are?" Shane didn't hesitate. 

"Of course we are. I told you that you and I are stuck together forever, didn't I?" Shane reassured her. Taking a deep breath, they each grabbed a test. Shane felt a smile forming on his face and Sara was matching it. On the screen, on all four screens, the result was the same: positive. It appeared that they would be having an alien baby after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am avoiding any and all school work today...on the other hand I officially start my new job on Monday :) enjoy peeps and happy first day of fall!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryan knows that something is going on with Shane. Sara seems to agree.

Halloween was a complicated time for Shane. In the old days, Halloween was a time where he was feared, sometimes respected, but mostly left alone. He hadn't been summoned in decades. So, why would he have any reason to worry about this year? He was dealing with a headache, nothing that he couldn't work through, when the pain doubled. The smell of candles, as well as burning ash, invaded his nose, and Shane made his way down to the basement as quickly as possible. Now, Shane had been a demon for a long time, but he certainly wasn't anyone special. No world ending powers and even if someone offered him a deal, Shane would never agree to it. He didn't do that kind of stuff. He felt proud that he didn't have any souls attached to him. The pain came in waves, so clearly whoever was on the other side knew how to summon him, just not correctly. Think of it like someone banging on a door and all they had to do was open it. 

He must have been down there longer than he thought because he jumped when someone touched his shoulder. Ryan was hunched next to him, face scrunched up in concern, and Shane leaned into him. He noticed that he was sweaty, and shaking, and Ryan gasped a little when he saw the state of his hands. Shane had been unconsciously picking at his hands so there were small crescent shaped marks in his palms and some of his cuticles were bleeding. "What are you doing?" Shane asked. Ryan huffed and got into a better position to sit on the floor and hold Shane up. 

"Well, I got a tip off from one of the interns that you bolted down here earlier. Sara is on a shoot right now, and when she's done you know she's going to be looking for you, so might as well tell me now so I can back you up." Ryan said. Shane shrugged. It felt like he was trying to crawl out his skin. The smell was back, stronger this time, and Shane clutched Ryan a bit tighter. He wouldn't be taken if the summons actually worked. That was a good thing, since Shane had no clue who, or what, was on the other side. On the other hand, Ryan would be left alone, no clue where Shane had gone. 

"It's a demon summons. Someone is trying to call on a lesser demon but they can't get the magic right." Shane explained. Ryan nodded and let the silence hang in the air. Past experience told him that Shane tended to talk more when he wasn't asked. While he had gotten more comfortable with them in recent years, there was a lot of information that Sara and Ryan just didn't have. "I'll be alright in a bit, the call isn't strong only annoying. I'm fine." Ryan snorted at that. Fine was the common word Shane used to describe himself, even when it was clear that Shane was the furthest thing from fine. 

"You better be right. I am not up for acting out a real like version of Supernatural." Ryan joked. Shane cracked a smile, which relaxed Ryan a bit, and the two of them waited a bit more in the basement before going back to work. Shane was uncomfortable for the rest of the day and it didn't take much for Ryan to convince him to sleep over at his place; Sara was staying late and didn't want him alone. In a rare turn of events, Ryan got Shane to sleep next to him, something that hardly ever happened anymore. Shane trusted them more since his attack but prolonged contact, especially with other males, didn't happen often. 

Ryan didn't sleep well, even as Shane snored lightly next to him, hand fisted in Ryan's shirt. Try and take him, Ryan thought silently. Try it and see what happens. He doesn't belong to you. 

Thankfully, Shane was right and whoever was trying gave up by morning. Maybe he should start looking into anti-possession symbols or something...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being an adult sucks sometimes. In other news...I'M GOING TO BE A GODMOTHER TO A GODSON!!! Read and enjoy peeps :)


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane and the cursed appendix.

Shane knows that something is wrong the minute he wakes up. He's sweating, which is odd since the temperature in the apartment is around 50 degrees, and Sara is a furnace during the night. He goes to sit up and gasps when his stomach zings in pain. Trying to muffle his pain, Shane crawls out of bed, not making it far before he has to stop. There's a churning in his stomach and he heaves. That is what alerts Sara to his situation, and to her credit, she jumps into action, flicking on the lamp and crawling across the bed to his side. Shane groans, shaking, and he frantically pushes her hands away from his side when she goes to steady him. 

"It hurts, it really hurts," Shane cries. Sara, for all their time together, first as friends, then boyfriend/girlfriend, knows that he does not admit to pain easily. She gets him set up on the floor, clutching a waste basket, as she quickly moves around the room, gathering shoes and keys and wallets. She checks to make sure his insurance is there, then slowly helps him to his feet, and it's slow going. Many times, Shane has to stop, twice to throw up, and using every bit of external support he can find and grab. Sara doesn't rush him. She's freaking out, Shane can tell, but she's trying to keep it off her face in an effort to keep him calm. 

She gets him into the car, apologizing when she has to put the seatbelt on and it makes the pain flare for a moment, and then she hurries to the drivers side. The ride to the hospital is long. Shane can feel the tears going down his face, can feel the heat his body is throwing off, despite the shivers, and how Sara is going a good 15 miles above the normal speed she usually goes. She keeps up a constant stream of reassurance as they sit, telling him it's going to be fine, that the doctors will figure this out, that she's going to stay with him the whole time. He's half delirious when they finally pull into a parking space. By some higher force, they find a parking spot close to the door, and Sara helps him stumble inside. 

The receptionist helps them, then he's being taken to the exam room, and then he's shrieking when the nurse tries to feel his stomach. She nods, as if she knows what's going on inside him, and tells Shane that she's going to get him something for the pain, and leaves the room. Sara runs her fingers through his hair and kisses him regardless of the sweat on his lips. "I'm scared." Shane says, wanting to curl up on the thin bed, but too afraid to move. He doesn't want anymore pain. The nurse comes back, this time with the on-call doctor, and they tell him that they suspect it is acute appendicitis. Off he goes to the surgical floor with Sara holding his hand the whole way.

An ultrasound confirms it, shows that Shane's appendix is near to bursting, and he's whisked away to an operating room. Sara kisses him, hard, quickly before he goes. When he comes to, after what feels like years rather than the coupe of hours he knows it to be, it's in a room in the early hours of the morning. Sara is curled up next to him, uncaring of the ungiving plastic arm of the chair digging into her ribs, holding his hand. Relieved, safe with the knowledge that Sara is here and that everything else can wait, he falls back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of homework...but still no desire to do it...ughhhh read and enjoy folks!


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane needs to keep them safe. Anything that happens to him doesn't matter. 
> 
> Warnings for non-con elements
> 
> Part 1 of 3

He keeps the screaming to a minimum. The pain hurts, there is no denying that, but he doesn't want to give these creatures anything. The majority of his strength went to getting Sara and Ryan out safely. They wouldn't survive this. Shane could. He would. The knife had been doused in holy water and some of it was poured into the cuts. Shane hurt all over. The hunters seemed to think he knew where some other creature was. He didn't. Shane kept to himself and didn't seek out anyone of his kind if he could avoid it. Granted, demons didn't travel together out of principle, but if they did, it usually meant bad news. So, Shane couldn't answer them. The pain never ended. They would get bored after a while, leaving him to hang from the ceiling for hours, and then come back. There were two of them, and they had bound him, so even though he could feel his powers coursing under his skin, it was like a wall was blocking them from coming out. 

They cut symbols into his skin. Stabbed him in areas that wouldn't kill him and filled it with holy water and salt. Kicked him, burned him, screamed at him. Shane didn't open his mouth. He had nothing to give them. As the hours blurred together, Shane started to drift in and out. His wrists were bruised from the ropes and blood had dripped down his arms from the cuts. One of his eyes were completely swollen shut. Breathing hurt. Blinking hurt. Thinking hurt. So, he tried to picture Sara. He thought of Ryan. He could get through this. A demon was strong. He had been able to withstand worse things. He was over a hundred years old; he could last a pair of hunters out. Pain, however, is a slow weapon. The knives got smaller. A lighter was rotated into the weapons of choice. Shane couldn't hold back the screams. 

The need to feed was constant. His lips were cracked and bled frequently. They didn't let him sleep. When he closed his eyes, they threw hot water on him, hit him with objects, sometimes even slapping him. They must have started to get bored with those after a while. They started to touch him. Hands going to places that he didn't want them in. Shane fought more then, snarling, thrashing, but it did nothing. they tightened the ropes. Snipped away what was left of his ruined clothing. Shane wanted to go home. He started to beg. Beg for rest, to be left alone, to stop hurting him. The hunters never listened. They just kept using things on him and touching him when that got boring. Until...touching got boring. Shane collapsed on the floor, arms screaming in pain from being in a fixed positon for so long, and was hauled over to a table. Bound there, ropes cutting into new areas of damaged skin, Shane trembled. 

He wasn't ignorant. He knew what these men would do. So, he fought, as much as he could, but it was no use. It seemed to go on forever. The pain, the sounds, the smells. Shane might have cried during it all. The men took their time, leaving and coming back, always dragging it out when they were with him. Shane tried to space out, to go somewhere else, and failed. The pain was too much. Sure, it used to be only on the outside, but now it wasn't. Shane could feel it. The sounds he made seemed to grate on the men. They ordered him to be quiet. Shane tried and failed. Failed every time. So, they took matters into their own hands. One of the men held him down while the other worked. As the sewing needle pushed through his skin, pursing his lips shut, Shane sobbed. 

"There," One of the men said cheerfully as he threw the supplies onto the floor and patted Shane's cheek. "That should help you out." Shane continued to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane whump for the win enjoy ;)


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shane digs deep… He wonders if Ryan would be scared of him
> 
> Part 2 of 3
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings for some non-con elements

Time has no meaning to him anymore. He could have been in this room for hours, maybe days, hell, even years. The men keep leaving and coming back. There are times when Shane can space out, think of better times, or simply nothing at all. The pain makes it hard to focus, and it is always changing, so he can't get used to it. The men get more creative, and Shane soon learns to fear the sound of the door opening. He thinks he could hurt these men, if he tried, but he doesn't want to. He gave Ryan his word. And Ryan, who is scared of anything that goes bump in the night, put his trust in Shane. 

It happens in the middle of one of the sessions. The first man, the taller one, is behind him. Every motion sends waves of pain throughout his body. Shane stares listlessly ahead, trying to ignore the words being said, and the second, shorter, man comes up beside him. "You know that you aren't going to leave this room, right? We can keep you here forever, or until we get bored. Maybe we'll bring you a friend, probably not though. We like keeping all the attention on you." The stirrings of...something...begins to creep up his neck. Shane closes his eyes, wondering how long it's been since he's reached out like this. It is truly dark magic, the first kind that Shane learned, because demons are evil at their core, even if Shane tells Ryan they aren't. 

The thrusting gets worse. Shane hates this part, it never gets any easier, and the second man is talking again. And, without even thinking, Shane reaches out and pulls. The room explodes into sound and light and color. When Shane opens his eyes, he is on the ground. The ropes that were hold him are steaming. The room, the walls, ceiling, floor, are covered in red. The men, of what he assumes is left of them, are crumpled up. Merely shells of what was once a human body. Shane can't bring himself to care. Not when he knows first hand what those bodies could do. 

Getting up is a challenge. The floor is sticky, and Shane can't find his clothes, and it is almost like an out of body experience. He's drained from pulling that much raw energy out, and his skin is peeling where the marks had been cut into his skin. The scent of magic is heavy in the air. If there are any hunters around, Shane is dead. They'll notice him before he does. Shuffling along the wall, stopping often as the room spins, he makes it to the door. Getting it open is hard work, using what little magic he has left, and then he begins the long process of getting up the stairs. He had been kept in a basement after all. The upstairs part is bare. However, he does find a sink, with working water, and he tries to clean himself up. There are clothes as well. In the effect of getting dressed, he finds a phone. His phone. 

The battery works. There are missed calls, text messages, and voicemails. Shane ignores them and calls Sara. He wants to go home. He doesn't know where he is, doesn't know how long he has been in that room, all he wants is to hear the voice of someone that wouldn't hurt him. She answers before the second ring goes through. "Shane? Shane, talk to me!" Sara's voice is like hearing sound for the first time. There are no words for him to make, and Sara must get that, as she demands for him to stay on the line, that she's coming. 

Shane curls up, noticing where he missed some of the blood, and listens to her talk. That is all he has strength for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the semester over yet? Also, 25 days till Christmas!

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've wanted to start doing prompts outside of my usual fandoms. Also, I'm trying to get used to posting more on AO3. Like a kudoes or a review if you are so inclined :)


End file.
